1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a fluid-filled cylindrical elastic mount adapted to provide a vibration damping effect based on flows of a fluid contained therein, and a method of manufacturing such an elastic mount. More particularly, this invention is concerned with a mounting device including such a fluid-filled cylindrical elastic mount and a generally cylindrical bracket made of a synthetic resin, and a method of producing the same.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As one type of a vibration damping mounting device interposed between two members of a vibration system, there is known a fluid-filled elastic mounting device including a fluid-filled cylindrical elastic mount, and a generally cylindrical bracket which is made of a synthetic resin and which has a cylindrical bore in which the fluid-filled cylindrical elastic mount is fixed. The fluid-filled cylindrical elastic mount includes: a center shaft member; an intermediate sleeve disposed radially outwardly of the center shaft member and having at least one window; an elastic body interposed between and connecting the center shaft member and the intermediate sleeve and having at least one pocket open in the outer circumferential surface of the intermediate sleeve through the corresponding window; and an outer sleeve which is fitted on the intermediate sleeve through a sealing rubber layer interposed therebetween, such that the above-indicated at least one window is fluid-tightly closed by the outer sleeve, so as to form at least one fluid chamber filled with a non-compressible fluid. The fluid-filled cylindrical elastic mount is fixedly accommodated in the cylindrical bore of the bracket such that the outer circumferential surface of the outer sleeve is in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical bore.
Such as fluid-filled elastic mounting device constructed as described above is capable of exhibiting an excellent vibration damping effect and a sufficiently low dynamic spring constant, on the basis of flows of the fluid through the cylindrical elastic mount upon application of a vibrational load between the center shaft member and the outer sleeve. This mounting device is suitably used on automotive vehicles, as an engine mounting device, a body mounting device, a differential mounting device and a suspension bushing device, for example.
The fluid-filled elastic mounting device of the type described above is required to have an improved degree of fluid-tightness of the fluid chamber or chambers while maintaining simple construction and ease of manufacture, to assure increased durability, operating reliability and load resistance.